Report: Dobbs to appear on The O’Reilly Factor next Monday.

On Wednesday, when CNN anchor Lou Dobbs announced his resignation for the network, speculation began about whether he would join the Fox Business Network. Fox put out a statement saying that they had “not had any discussions with Lou Dobbs for Fox News or Fox Business.” But Daily Finance’s Jeff Bercovici reported last night that Dobbs first big post-CNN interview will be on Fox News with Bill O’Reilly:

The network is set to announce that Dobbs will be a guest on Monday night’s edition of Bill O’Reilly’s show, DailyFinance has learned. Warm feelings between the two men goes back to last summer, when O’Reilly publicly defended Dobbs against critics who wanted him fired for repeatedly showcasting the claims of “birthers” who allege President Obama wasn’t born in the U.S. Dobbs offered to be interviewed on The O’Reilly Factor then, but quickly backed out, prompting speculation that CNN had ordered him not to appear on a competing network.

Monday’s appearance could be a make-good for that…or it could be a not-so-subtle signal that Dobbs is inclined to sign on with Rupert Murdoch’s legions, as many believe he will. (On his radio show today, callers were reportedly urging Dobbs to do just that.)